Chostocondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage that joins together your rib bone and sternum (breast bone).
Once the inflammation starts, the pain can be very uncomfortable and can even limit the amount of activities that you can do in a day.
What is costochondritis and who gets it? Costochondritis is often called chest wall pain.
Children and adolescents usually experience this condition.
It is a condition that causes 10%-30% of chest pain in children, and peaks at the age of 12-14.
Regardless of the previously stated statistics, adults can also suffer costochondritis.
Females account for 70% of cases while males comprise 30%.
The cause of costochondritis is not known, although some form of infections can result to the condition.
It is also a complication of a surgery done on your sternum.
What is costochondritis and what are its signs and symptoms? Costochondritis is an inflammatory condition that can affect any of the 7 costochondral junctions, usually between the 2nd and the 5th.
Signs and symptoms of costochondritis often include: - Sharp pain that can be found on your front chest wall - Pain can radiate to immediate areas such as the back, abdomen, or on your left side - Tenderness when pressing a specific rib joint - The pain can increase when you breathe deeply, move your upper torso, cough, or do too much work What is costochondritis and what are the treatments used? Costochondritis is a benign condition that is self-limiting and can be resolved with a few treatment modalities.
Once you feel the pain of costochondritis, you must take a rest and try to quiet down your breathing.
Panting or excessive breathing that you often do after a jog or moving furniture can often trigger the pain.
Do your best to breathe slow and evenly but not too deeply.
You can also decrease the amount of activities that you do by trying to eliminate those that require too much effort on your part.
NSAID's can also ease the pain of costochondritis.
Although available over the counter, you still have to see a doctor because you may have a health condition that contraindicates its use.
What's more, it is hard to differentiate between costochondritis and heart disease.
Help your doctor arrive at an accurate diagnosis by giving a complete history of the onset and duration of the pain.
Your doctor may also advise several diagnostic tests to rule out the presence of heart disease.